Confrontations
by Shadow Haloed Angel
Summary: When Kio tries to stop the abuse of his best friend he finds it isn't as easy as he thought. Does he still have the courage to change Soubi's life in the way that counts? Eventual KioSoubi, SeimeiSoubi at start, semi-graphic noncon, implied violence. YAOI
1. Confrontation the First

AN: This is a new fic and is rated M for safety. The rating may change, dependent upon events and detail.

Kio took a deep breath, the rage burning through him again. He could not let this keep happening. He didn't know if this would help or whether it would hurt, but if it could help he had to take the chance. He couldn't let Soubi be abused, be hurt like this.

He raised a shaky hand and knocked.

"Come in..." he heard the summons – Seimei's voice was the same as ever: smug, lazy and superior, condescending with that underlying hint of cruelty which lurked under the surface of every phrase the boy uttered.

Kio opened the door and went in

Soubi was kneeling on the floor in front of Seimei, the teenager lazily playing with his ice-blonde hair, lifting the strands, letting them slip lazily through his fingers as the willowy man stared devotedly up at him.

Seimei was speaking to him.

"You are worthless Soubi, a failure... you permitted me to be hurt. You need punishing." Soubi nodded sadly and Kio exploded.

"NO!"

Seimei looked up at him calmly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked softly, coldly, eyes flashing "How dare you tell me how to treat my property?"

"Soubi isn't property, he's a person!" Kio snarled furiously.

Seimei quirked an eyebrow slightly and his lips twisted into a shark's smile.

"That's where you're wrong... Soubi is mine and he will do anything I tell him to..." he turned to Soubi "Won't you." It was a statement, not a question, delivered in a warning tone, dangerous as a hissing cobra.

Soubi nodded, eyes never leaving Seimei.

"Yes." He replied, voice empty.

Seimei's smirk widened and he stroked a hand over Soubi's hair.

"So if were to order you to...say... show this intruder my anger at his interruption and remove him from the room..."

"If that is your wish master."

Seimei paused and steepled his fingers in thought, then nodded.


	2. Punishment

Warnings: YAOI NON-CON, slight D/s

Kio's eyes blinked open, the lids felt sticky, almost as if they had been coated with something. He looked around, he didn't know where he was, couldn't remember –

Soubi. That's what he remembered, the last thing had been Soubi coming towards him, face set but eyes pained. Then pain. Terrible scorching burning pain everywhere in his body. Pain so strong he had lost consciousness. And in the background Seimei's smirking face.

He rolled over, trying to get up, grunting slightly with the effort. He heard a cut-off sob of pain from nearby and padded towards it, swaying slightly.

"That's it Soubi, you like that don't you? You like the pain.... it is your punishment..." that cold voice, filled with cool, detached, sadistic joy.

"Y- ah! Yes master..." that was Soubi's voice, shaking, struggling for control, obviously in pain. Kio frowned, the concern for his friend giving him the strength to follow the sound.

He would never forget the sight he saw through the crack in the bedroom door. Soubi, beautiful Soubi, his fragile best friend, naked and on all fours as Seimei pounded into his body. A trickle of blood was visible running down his thigh. Seimei was yanking his head back by the hair, using it as if it was a set of reins.

Soubi was shaking, whimpering. Seimei emptied himself inside the older blonde and pulled away, he left, disappearing. The close of the front door made it clear he had left completely.

Soubi collapsed to the floor, curling up slightly as tears spilled down his cheeks and a mixture of blood and Seimei's fluid trickled from him.

Kio watched from behind the door, mouth open. When what he had just seen had sunk in, he limped away, half-running, searching for the bathroom. When he found it he grabbed a flannel lying on the side and soaked it in cool water, then returned to Soubi, kneeling by him.

Trying not to think about what he was doing he began very gently cleaning him, washing away the blood and other fluids from his body, then, when he was clean, he sat there, gently stroking his hair. Soubi stared up at him, eyes full of pain and humiliation.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered.


	3. Comfort

Soubi whimpered softly and shook his head "I'm sorry..." he whispered "You must hate me... you don't have to do that, I can do it... after what I did... you must want to hurt me, please... just do it..."

Kio shook his head and pulled Soubi closer into his arms. "No... I don't want to hurt you... no... oh god Soubi... I didn't realise he...." he felt physically sick, he hadn't known Seimei raped his friend, he hoped it was just a one-off.

Soubi whimpered and burrowed against him. He knew he shouldn't, he should be tidying up, ready for when Seimei next visited, but being held like this by Kio felt so safe.

Kio frowned, he didn't know how he could help, but he guessed his friend must be in agony. The other was shaking against him, panting, hyperventilating. He had to calm him, he didn't know what to do, had no experience in this area. He paused and bent slightly, pressing his lips to Soubi's, trying to comfort him.

Soubi immediately went limp, blinking, shocked. Was Kio going to hurt him too? This was strange... this wasn't... kisses never felt like this with Seimei, this was almost...nice... there was feeling in it that felt strangely like love, but it couldn't be. He didn't deserve love, would never feel it. No-one would ever love a thing him.

Kio gently carried him to the bathroom and bathed him gently in warm water, kissing him gently, washing his hair gently, lifting him out and wrapping him in a towel then drying him. He found a pair of clean boxers and a T-shirt and helped Soubi dress.

Soubi went along with whatever Kio did, in too much pain to fight, even though he knew he should, this just felt so good. Kio lay him gently in bed and tucked him in with a gentle smile and a last kiss. For the first time of the many, Soubi responded slightly. Kio blinked and smiled, then stroked his hair once

"Rest... I'll take care of it..." he whispered to the blushing Soubi. Soubi nodded "Th- thank you..." he shouldn't have done that, what had he been thinking? If Seimei ever found out... but he didn't think Kio would tell him... it was undoubtedly to get him into trouble, But there had been feeling in them, please god there had feeling... he watched Kio with confused eyes as the other began tidying up the mess in the room.


	4. Improper Thoughts

When Seimei returned later that night, Soubi was cooking in the kitchen and everything was spotlessly clean There was no sign of the other artist. He went up behind his fighter and slapped hard on the rump. Soubi jumped slightly, and turned to face his master.

"I am grudgingly forced to admit you have done well." Seimei told him reluctantly. "As such, as suppose I must reward you."

Soubi's face shone with eager happiness. The teenager leant up and briefly crushed their lips together with great force. When he pulled away, he left the blonde panting for breath, and a little trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

After Soubi had served him dinner, Seimei studied for a while, even though he viewed his time in school as a waste, he was determined to set a good example for his younger brother, even though he had plans for his little Ritsuka, which did not involve the traditional route, no, he would give Ritsuka the best fighter in the world, and his brother would fight at his side and they would be together forever.

After ignoring Soubi for the rest of the evening, Seimei gave him a single pat on the head to avoid him getting too dejected, and went to bed, leaving Soubi with orders to sleep on the floor somewhere he wouldn't be in the way.

Soubi curled up on the living room floor, in the corner, alone with his thoughts. Naturally, as was right and proper, they were all of Seimei. He was so happy, Seimei had praised him today, had punished him too, had touched him, Seimei wanted him to be his fighter, he was Seimei's, it was all okay.

Somewhere deep inside him, however, a traitorous little voice whispered that he had enjoyed it when Kio looked after him, that it had felt good, that it hadn't hurt. He sqashed the part of him that longed for the other artist's gentle touch, and curled tighter, dreaming of Seimei and how he would be able to serve him the next day.


	5. Madness and Changes

At home that night, Kaido Kio curled up and thought of Soubi. the pain he had seen made him desperate to change it, to save the other's life. he had to make sure there was space for the other in his existence. He looked around his apartment. this place wasn't suitable for Soubi, he couldn't sentence the other to another prison. He had to change it.

He froze in inspiration, then got up and started changing his life.

Kio frowned as he concentrated on his work. Noone would know about this piece, this was private, but he still wanted to do a good job. Heaven knew he wasn't exactly living in a nice place, but it had been the best he was able to afford. Now he was working to spruce up the grotty apartment he was living in, painting the walls. When he'd begun sketching out, he would have been the first to admit the designs weren't exactly cheerful, but he'd rubbed those away now, started sketching again. He began painting. It was late and he wasn't sure he could trust himself, but for the sake of dreams he started.

The background was finished, a light, pale powdery blue, he flecked it with silver and gold - a starry sky, ethereally shiny, like the figure he had still left blank. He would fill that in another day.

He closed his eyes, lying on the mattress he used for a bed facing the new mural, sleeping peacefully underneath his angel.

As the weeks went by, Kio filled in more and more of his murals, walls previously dark and swirled with nightwmare becoming light and purity, however, outside his home he had changed.

At art school, the green haired man was not his normal self, no longer so bouncy, so exuberant. Soubi was concerned, slightly confused by his friend's differing attitude. While he did find Kio annoying, this change in personality disturbed him slightly, and he realised the silence inside, usually filled with the other's incessant chatter. He needed that noise, missed it. It helped deafen him to Seimei's orders, which he knew was the opposite of what he was supposed to desire. Now that the noise was missing he was desperae for his friend to return.


	6. Hopeless

At the end of a longday, Kio trudged into his bathroom, beginning to wash away the filth of the days labours. He climbed into the shower, turning the water to scalding temperatures, feeling it scythe away the caked colours of the paint which had dripped on him throughout the day. He luxuriated in the steam, the heat, washing his body and hair clean, wishing he could wash his soul cleaner.

He climbed out and looked in the mirror, staring blearily at his flushed reflection. He frowned, there appeared to be a mark on his face still, even after all that. He scrubbed at it with his hand, but it didn't fade. He leant on the sink, still feeling exhausted, physically and emotionally. He stared into the steamed up mirror with unfocussed eyes, then shook himself and walked back, climbing into the bed and closing his eyes, immediately lost in slumber.

Soubi was frantically applying makeup to cover a mark on his face. He could not be anything less than perfect, if he were less than perfect, Seimei would beat him, as was only right and proper. He was a fighter, property, an object, he had to be the best he could for his master at all times. This imperfection had heavy consequences which would only serve to heighten the other's anger if he discovered them. Soubi had recognised it the moment it had appeared, the blemish was no bruise, no dirt mark, no spot, but a name. The blank fighter of Beloved had his true name at last.

He could feel his connection to Seimei fading, and in his mind's eye the chain linking them was corroding as he watched. Though he could feel the new chain forming, he yet had no idea to whom or where it could lead, and he was scared. He curled up, fighting back tears. He truly was cursed, even by his true name. He had prayed for a good master, a kind master, a chance to prove himself; but in this world where words had the power to determine destiny and to take or save a life, he was scarred by a dark name.

Hopeless.


	7. Salvation

Soubi sat at his easel the next day, seemingly calm, imperturbable, lost once more in the world of colour and freedom. His brush conjured a magical world from the void of the blank canvas.

The blonde sensed another's proximity before he heard them. He turned his head and could not suppress a smile "Kio...I've missed you..." he frowned as he examined the other. "Is that a mark on your face? Did someone hit you?" the bitter humour of the situation was not entirely lost upon him. When they had met it had been the other who had coaxed him out of his shell with endless exploits, clowning and unavoidable chatter. Kio had always been willing to talk, always attempted to make conversation while he himself had been silent. Now the other seemed to be drifting almost beyond his reach, and he was trying in vain to find the man who had been his friend.

The other man didn't response, and in an unprecedented action, Soubi put down his paintbrush in the middle of a piece and turned Kio on his stool, gripping him by the shoulders, worry in his eyes.

"Kio, talk to me, please... just say something, smile, make a joke, anything... you're ignoring me and I can't take it... I want my friend back! I-..." he was about to continue when he froze, eyes falling on the mark on Kio's face. It was no bruise, no smudge of dirt, it matched the one on his own face even down to its location. He started shaking, barely able to believe it.

Kio frowned "Soubi? What's wrong?" he stood and sat the other down "Your-... your mark-... your name..."

The other man blinked "...my name's Kio, you know that already..."

"No! No... a name... a true name, a fighter's name, or that of a sacrifice... like Seimei's..."

Kio shrugged "I'm nothing special, I don't have any powers, I can't be a fighter..."

"No, but you are a sacrifice..."

"Big deal. I probably don't have a fighter..."

Soubi shook his head mutely, rubbing his cheek, getting more and more urgent, scrubbing at his skin, desperate to wipe away the makeup, to reveal the truth.

Kio frowned in confusion, watcing, concerned, worried by the other's intensity.

The mark was revealed, and Soubi's eyes shone with desperation, he needed the other to accept him, to value him, to cherish him if that were possible. He could not face another rejection.

Kio traced the tip of a finger over the other's cheek, barely touching the skin.

"Hopeless..." he breathed, reading it. Then his eyes met Soubi's once more, wide with nerves, anticipation.

"...Mine?" he breathed, enquiring

Soubi nodded, holding his breath.

There was a pause, as if time itself had stopped, frozen for them to breathe, hanging on the thread of the next moment's decision.

Kio yanked the other into his arms, hugging him tightly and whispered into his ear "...MY Soubi..."

Soubi gasped and wrapped his arms around the other, feeling tears trickle down his cheeks in relief at finally being accepted.


End file.
